Coming to Know and Follow Jesus

To many people, Jesus is just an ancient historical person with little relevance today except possibly as a good moral teacher. But to many others, Jesus is much more than that. While we turn to the stories of Jesus' life and ministry for inspiration and guidance, we follow a living Jesus who continues to come among us in our present day world.  Just as he invited people to follow him in ancient times, we have heard and accepted his invitation to follow him today.

Toward the end of Jesus' life, he promised his followers that God would send them another comforter or advocate called the Holy Spirit.  Contrary to modern images of ghosts and other creatures, the Holy Spirit is another expression of God among humankind.  The Holy Spirit comes to bring Jesus' presence to us, to invite us to follow Jesus, to teach us, to comfort and encourage us, and to empower us as we follow Jesus.  His disciples experienced this Holy Spirit following Jesus' death and resurrection.  It transformed their lives as Jesus came to them in this new way.

In the centuries since then, many men and women throughout the world have encountered Jesus though the Holy Spirit.  They have often followed Jesus at great cost: beatings, imprisonment, denial of civil rights, public humiliations and even death.  Yet they found in Jesus someone more important to them than these persecutions.  They experienced Jesus' promise of new life and the power to live that new life.  They were moved to great deeds of compassion and service toward their fellow human beings.  And they experienced a new kind of joy and peace in their lives.

Jesus still comes to people today and we invite you to get to know him. The following suggestions may be helpful to you in coming to know Jesus better.

• Read the book of Mark from the Bible.  Use a modern translation for a more readable account.  I can assist you in getting a Bible if you don't have one.  Mark's account is the shortest and most action oriented.  Remember that you are not reading a biography or a history, but Mark's witness or testimony about his and other people's experiences with Jesus.
• Read the other three accounts - Matthew, Luke, and John.  Each account reflects both the author's personality and the readers for whom it was written.  And like Mark's account, each account is the author's attempt to share his and other people's experiences with Jesus.
• Reflect on what you have read and pray about it.  Possibly the word prayer brings to mind rhyming children's prayers or long, formal prayers in worship services.  But prayer is really just sharing conversation and sometimes silence with God.  If you are not sure whether you believe in God, you can still think or speak this thought: "God, I don't know whether you are real, but if you are, help me to experience you in my life."  As you read the accounts of Jesus' life, you may find things that you don't understand or things that intrigue you.  Even your reflections on these things can be a way of reaching out to God.  There is no magic formula or method.  But God promises that those who genuinely seek will find.  God will in some way come to you.
• Even the most experienced person sometimes needs a guide.  I would suggest a booklet, A Seeker's Guide to Christian Faith.  This is a very readable guide that will lead you through some of the basics of the Christian faith and help you notice the signs of God's presence in your life.  I would be happy to send you a copy of this booklet.
• Sometimes it's just helpful to talk to someone else.  If you have questions or want to explore Jesus in deeper ways, I can arrange for someone to call you or for someone to exchange letters or e-mails with you.
• As with most things, Jesus and religion can be approached abstractly and at a distance. We can learn a lot about Jesus and yet never really experience him. While Jesus can be experienced in a private, personal way, Jesus is also experienced in community with other people as they worship and study and serve together.  I would invite you, when you feel comfortable, to experience Jesus in this new way and share with a faith community in worship. I can help you find a congregation of the Community of Christ or help you connect with another church if you prefer.

Please feel free to e-mail me at greg@connectingtojesus.org if you need a Bible, would like A Seeker's Guide, would like someone to discuss things with, or would like to share in a congregational worship service.

 

 

         

 

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